Debates are meant to be an examination of the evidence, yet we are frequently taken in by arguments that are based on shared assumptions that turn out to be false under inspection.

Below is a 'cheat-sheet' of tactics (called logical fallacies) used in debates to play on those assumptions and avoid scrutiny of an argument that may not be supported by the evidence.

Non-sequitur

Jumping straight to a conclusion without stating one or more of the assumptions that led you there.

Slippery Slope

Claiming an action will have extreme consequences without explaining how or why.

Straw Man

Distorting someone’s argument (twisting their words) to make it easier to beat.

Ad Hominem

Attempting to discredit someone’s point of view by attacking their character instead.

Appeal to Authority

Attempting to justify a point of view by pointing out that an ‘expert’ agrees with it.

Circular Reasoning

Claiming the proof of your evidence is the conclusion you are using the evidence to prove

Correlation v Causation

Claiming that because two things happened at thesame time, one must have caused the other.

Sequence v Causation

Claiming that because two things happened in sequence, one must have caused the other.

Appeal to Numbers

Claiming you must be right because most people agree with you (aka appeal to common sense).

Appeal to Emotion

Attempting to justify a decision based on an overwhelming emotional response.

Appeal to Tradition

Claiming that something considered to be true for a long time must still be true now.

Appeal to Anecdote

Claiming something to be generally true by highlighting a single example of it being true.

Want to know more?

In the new Great Debaters Training Manual, you will see find out what a good argument looks like, you will learn how to think like your audience and you will see examples of famous speeches with explanations of what made them so good...and more.

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You get a free training manual along with access to our training programme and speaking opportunities at our signature event, Debating London, when you become a member of the Great Debaters Club. See the 2017 programme below for details on what we have planned for this year and how to sign up...

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WHO WE ARE
The Great Debaters Club is a Limited Company that hosts the twice monthly public debate series, Debating London, and runs a training programme for paying club members and guests. We are registered with Companies House and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). The club's company number is 08145920 and our ICO registration number is ZA383930.
As the sole employee of the company, Tony Koutsoumbos serves as both company Director and Data Controller.
PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT
All personal data collected by the Great Debaters Club is deliberately and voluntarily shared by the individuals to whom that data relates (data subjects) by asking to join the club's mailing list or becoming a member of the club.
The only data held on individuals on the club's mailing list are their given names, email addresses, and a record of which emails sent by the club they have opened and read.
The same data is held on individuals who have signed up for membership of the club, in addition to their home addresses, their membership tariffs, and a record of private communications exchanged between them and the club's Director, Tony Koutsoumbos.
The club does not collect or store off-line the IP addresses of any individual that interacts with us, or details of the social media profiles and posts of individuals who join any of our groups or follow us on any platform.
The club does not have access to members' bank details with the exception of those who choose to pay for their membership via a direct transfer to the club's bank account instead of using either of our approved payment processing websites: GoCardeless or PayPal. These details are accessible only through the club's secure on-line banking portal and are not stored anywhere else or shared with any third parties.
The club also collects data on whether paid members are in full-time education or in receipt of state benefits, but only when given freely and required for the purpose of accessing discounts available exclusively to those members. These data are recorded on the club's membership database and are not shared with any third parties.
During our public debates, we also take photos of speakers and audience members, which we use to publicise the activities of the club, and we make audio recordings of the debate, which we use to write feedback summaries for the speakers.
HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL DATA
All personal data we collect is given freely and with full knowledge of the purpose for which it will be used, which is clearly stated. Specifically, we collect personal data in the following ways:
- through individuals adding themselves to our mailing list via our two websites: www.greatdebaters.co.uk and www.debatinglondon.com
- through individuals signing up to become paid members of the club, through one of our payment processing websites, or directly by confirming their intention to join by email and - when necessary - making payment via a on-line transfer direct to the club's bank account.
- through individuals adding their names and email addresses to sign-up forms distributed at events, which are promptly destroyed as soon as their details are added to the club's mailing list.
- names and email addresses are also collected when individuals post queries through our websites, email us directly, or sign up for specific events through Google Forms or Eventbrite. However, these details are not stored and are not added to our mailing list unless that individual specifically instructs us to do so.
- photo and audio data are only collected during public debates (and very occasionally training workshops), which we announce in advance. Audio data from audience members is anonymised with only speakers named during recordings, consent for which is obtained when they join the club. Any participants who do not wish to be included in photographs are directed to the club's photographer to register their objection.
HOW WE KEEP PERSONAL DATA SECURE
Personal data held by the Great Debaters Club is stored on an encrypted password-protected database, which can only be accessed by the club's Director and Data Controller, Tony Koutsoumbos.
We have reviewed the privacy policies of third party partners that hold personal data and sensitive personal data, such as bank details, of club members and individuals on our mailing list to ensure they are compliant with the GDPR, updating our agreements with them where necessary.
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SHARING PERSONAL DATA
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We do not share, under any circumstances, the personal data we hold on any individual for marketing purposes without their explicit consent.
The circumstances under which we do share personal data include:
- names of individuals or organisations, and the services or products purchased by them, issued with a receipt or invoice by the club, which we share with our accountancy firm for the purpose of processing the club's tax returns.
- connecting fellow club members by email, so they can communicate with each other when planning to speak together in a debate.
- sharing access to attendee names and email addresses when co-hosting an event with another organisation granted admin privileges on an event page hosted by an on-line platform, such as eventbrite or meetup. This is for the sole purpose of monitoring ticket sales and partner organisations are not permitted to email attendees directly, other than to provide them with information about the event they have signed up to attend.
HOW YOU CAN ACCESS YOUR PERSONAL DATA
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